Camp Lakeview
by klaineandblazers
Summary: Kurt Hummel was fully prepared to have a relaxing, guy-free summer. But given a camp counseling opportunity, he suddenly finds himself thrust into a cabin that needs some serious remodeling, and faced with a guy that had the most alluring smile he'd ever seen. Between navigating his love life and surviving eight weeks at Camp Lakeview, this summer would prove to be unforgettable.
1. Chapter 1

**Because a camp counselors!Klaine AU has been something I've been thinking about for a while, enjoy this!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or these lovely characters.**

* * *

Chapter One

"That's it. This is the final straw. It's the last day of our junior year and you're sulking!"

Kurt rolled his eyes at his melodramatic friend. "I wouldn't call it sulking." But admittedly, he kind of was. He wasn't looking forward to the summer this year, mainly because while all his friends went off on vacations, he would be in Lima, as always. His dad had already hinted that he had a spot for Kurt to work at his shop, and the only thing worse than staying home all summer was staying at the garage. So there was virtually no way out.

"Well, I would." Rachel huffed. "It's depressing."

"You have no right to be depressed, you're seeing three Broadway shows this summer," Kurt retorted, jabbing at her with his pencil. Rachel swatted it away and sighed, softening.

"I wish you could come with me."

Kurt waved his hand dismissively, knowing Rachel was sincere and feeling slightly guilty for snapping at her. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I'm just… whatever. I'll be fine." If you could substitute 'lonely' for 'fine'.

"Who knows, maybe you'll have a summer romance," Rachel wiggled her eyebrows, changing the subject to be positive not-so-smoothly.

"Last I checked, we're not Grease characters. So I highly doubt it."

With a bittersweet smile, Rachel stood up as the bell rang, touching Kurt's shoulder. "Just keep an open mind, okay? You heard the bell. Junior year is officially over. Lima or not, at least you won't be at McKinley."

He couldn't argue with that logic, so he took a deep breath and nodded, even smiling as she left the classroom. He put his things into his bag, allowing Rachel's words to cheer him up. Three months without seeing a McKinley letterman jacket was enough to be happy.

"Hey, Kurt."

At the sound of his name, Kurt turned, seeing Quinn approaching him. "Quinn. It's been a while." Sure, they saw each other at glee club all year, but they hadn't spoken much. He couldn't imagine what they would talk about. But she was nice to him. As nice as Quinn Fabray could be to people that weren't football players or Cheerios.

Quinn smiled, matching pace with him as they entered the hallway, sticking fairly close together as students jostled to leave. "I know. But I heard you talking to Rachel, and I've come to help you out."

Kurt cocked an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

"You have no summer plans. And I happen to know of a job opportunity that will fill the void. How do you feel about camp counseling?"

He nearly laughed aloud. "What did I do to give you the impression that I like camps? Or children, for that matter."

Quinn shook her head quickly. "It's really nice there. Bunks with air conditioning, a really clean lake, and the kids aren't toddlers. They're middle school age, even some freshmen."

Still unconvinced, Kurt crossed his arms as they left the school and headed to the student parking lot. "Sorry, Fabray. Just not my thing."

"It pays three hundred dollars a week."

This was enough to spark his interest. "Continue."

"It's eight weeks, overnight. But you can go home on the weekends. It's nothing, you just supervise activities and make sure no one gets poison ivy, really."

Kurt tilted his head as he unlocked his car. "Alright. Why are you recruiting me for the job?"

Quinn shrugged. "Because I'm counseling there too, and the camp needs people. I've been going there since I was a kid, it's the least I can do to help the staff out. You're the only one who's free all summer, and I can tolerate for a considerable amount of time."

"I'm flattered," Kurt rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched up. They both had the same sarcasm. It was refreshing.

"So, I can tell the manager you're in?" Quinn clasped her hands like a prayer, and Kurt nodded.

"Sure. Text me with the details."

Quinn's wide smile prompted one from Kurt, as well, and the blonde clapped her hands happily. "Great! It's gonna be fun, okay?"

Kurt laughed, waving as she left. He could feel his mood lifting. There was no way it would be fun. But eight weeks away from here? He would count that as a vacation.

* * *

The first day of summer for Kurt had been spent the same way since he was in middle school. Wake up, make breakfast without having to rush to get to school, and retreat into his bedroom to purge his closet of any heavy clothing in preparation for warmer weather. He'd save some things for reworking into his summer wardrobe, of course, he'd learned to work wonders with a sewing machine and make a lot out of a little. It was a metaphor for his life, he liked to think. Taking things of the past and making them fabulous again. The problem was, he hadn't gotten past that first stage in his life yet. But he'd get the chance to redesign his reality after high school. Now was the time for wardrobe related makeovers.

An hour into remaking some old colored jeans into shorts, his father came down the stairs, leaning against the railing. "So, have you thought about my offer?"

Kurt turned in his swivel chair, sitting up straighter. "I have. And I would've said yes. Working at the shop seemed- fun."

Burt laughed, shaking his head. "Be honest. You hated the idea of stepping foot into the garage."

"Yeah, pretty much," Kurt relaxed in his seat again, seeing his dad wasn't going to be upset with him.

"That's fine. But what are you going to do instead?" Burt sat on the armchair by the stairs, adjusting the brim of a baseball hat that was always present.

"I already have it covered. Camp counseling."

There was a brief pause, and then Burt was laughing again. "You? At a camp?"

Kurt rolled his eyes, but he couldn't quite defend himself against his father's reaction. After all, he'd had the same one. "Yes. I already have the job, too, Quinn put in a good word for me." Burt looked confused at the planning Kurt had already done, but he plowed on. "It's not some cabin in the woods type camp, it's nice. And clean. And the kids aren't too young. And it's three hundred dollars a week."

The last point got Burt's approval, Kurt could already tell. Anything that would save him from funding Kurt's fashion obsessions was good with him. "Well… that sounds good to me. When does it start?"

Kurt told him the date Quinn had texted him, which happened to be just a few days away. "So, if you excuse me, I've got a lot of sewing to do before Monday."

Burt held his hands up in surrender, going back towards the stairs. "Alright, alright." But he didn't go up them yet.

Quirking his eyebrows, Kurt laughed a little. "Do you need something?"

"No." Burt smiled a little, tapping his fingers on the railing. "I'm just- glad you're doing this. I was worried about you staying holed up in here all summer."

He understood where his father's worries came from, as the past school year had been rough for him, with bullies coming on stronger than ever. But the last thing he wanted was to make him worry. Burt had spent too much of his time worrying since Kurt's mother's death, and that was when he was young. He wanted to show him he wasn't a time bomb anymore. "You don't need to worry about anything, okay?"

"I know. You're a tough kid," Burt said this firmly, and finally went back upstairs, opting to finish the conversation there. There wasn't much else to be said.

Turning back to his sewing machine, Kurt wrapped thread around his finger absently. This camp was proving to have a couple more positives than he'd anticipated. It was making his dad happy, and that mattered a lot to him. And saving up this summer would help his goal of heading to New York next year. Rachel's words revisited him then, her voice in singsong; ' _Maybe you'll find a summer romance_!', and he pushed the thought from his head quickly, refocusing on his sewing. He refused to get his hopes up only to have them squashed. Love could wait until after he'd left for college. He'd waited this long, hadn't he?

* * *

"Okay, do you have everything?"

"Yeah, dad. And that's the third time you've asked."

Burt laughed as he finished helping Kurt load his car with bags, patting the trunk once it was closed. "Sorry, I just want to be sure. You'll be home this weekend, right?"

Kurt smiled, nodding. "Yup. And I'll make enough dinners to last until I come home again the next weekend." He'd been helping his dad eat healthier, as Burt had experienced some health scares previously, and the last thing either of them wanted was a repeat. But Burt had the tendency to lean towards takeout food when Kurt wasn't cooking, so he made sure to prepare plenty of food.

"That's why you're my favorite."

He rolled his eyes, but still smiled fondly. "I'll see you next weekend, okay?"

Burt nodded, waving as Kurt finally got into his car and pulled out of the driveway, following the directions Quinn wrote for him once he left the neighborhood. He was surprised to find himself excited about getting to the camp, and especially grateful he was sure to know at least one person there. The ride was a little long, but he had a couple soundtracks to keep him occupied on the way, and idly wondered if the camp had any music programs for the kids. He'd gladly help out with that. Thinking about the possibilities (and singing loudly to the Wicked soundtrack) passed the time until he arrived. Or, passed the entrance to the camp three times before finally realizing the tiny, nondescript sign with faded letters actually read 'Camp Lakeview'. Slightly disheartened, Kurt turned down the narrow road that led to the camp, looking around as he drove. Truthfully, it was a little creepy, the way the trees kind of hung over the road. But he reminded himself what Quinn had said, that it would be nice. Just because the sign was old and the road was a little unkempt didn't mean the whole camp would be that way.

He thought that until he got to the clearing for the parking lot, at least. From where he was, he could see a row of cabins, with roofing that would be frowned upon by safety inspectors, he imagined. There was a lake to his left, true to the camp's name, but large patches of twisting ferns and weeds hid the shore from view. What was he getting himself into? Just as he was about to get into the car and head back home, already thinking of excuses he could give to Quinn, someone called out. "Hey!"

Kurt stilled his hand on the handle of his car door. "Ah- hey." He forced a smile that he knew must look strained, then turned around, and quickly, a real smile came. Because the guy in front of him was cute. Really cute.

"Are you the new counselor?" The guy asked, and Kurt noticed that he was wearing a T-shirt with the camp name printed across the chest. He must be a counselor, too. That certainly changed Kurt's perspective on the camp. Bringing his gaze back up to his face, Kurt saw a flicker of something playful in his eyes, almost mischievous. But soon that was forgotten as he noticed the unique color of the boy's eyes, they were like gold or honey or something equally as intriguing.

"That's me." He smiled, dropping his hand from his car. "I'm Kurt."

"Blaine," The guy held out a hand, a thousand watt smile along with it. "Welcome to Lakeview."

"Indeed," He breathed and returned the smile, shaking Blaine's hand and trying not to notice how tan he looked in contrast the the faded tee.

"Why don't I show you around?" Blaine dropped his hand, adjusting the brim of a baseball cap that sat atop his short-cropped curls.

"I would love-"

"There you are!" Both of them turned to see Quinn jogging over, in a T-shirt identical to Blaine's. "Finally. I see you two have met."

Kurt tried to silently tell Quinn to leave, but she wasn't getting the message. "Yup. He's about to give me the tour, so…"

"Oh, no worries, I can take care of that!" She waved her hand at Blaine for him to shoo, and the guy gave a mock salute.

"Nice meeting you, Kurt. I'll see you at the cookout tonight." And then he was headed off towards the bunks, leaving Kurt to turn on Quinn.

"Excuse me, you just ruined our conversation."

Quinn snorted, beckoning him to follow her in the opposite direction. "You just met. Don't tell me you already have a crush on him."

Kurt rolled his eyes, leaving his luggage in the car to deal with later and following after her. "I wouldn't call it a crush so much as an appreciation for his face."

"Mhm. Just his face?"

He crossed his arms, bumping her hip lightly. "Help me out? How long have you known him?"

Quinn shrugged. "Since we both went to this camp when we were little."

"And? What's he like?"

"Crazy," She laughed. "Even as a kid, he was turning the place upside down. But now his craziness comes in the form of smuggled alcohol for the counselors and his on-again off-again fling with another counselor here."

Kurt's heart sank, and he wanted to kick himself instantly. Hadn't he just sworn off summer romances a few days ago? And here he was almost falling for a guy he barely knew, without knowing if he was even gay. "I see. Should I stay away from him, then?"

Quinn considered this for a moment, then smiled at him. "I'd say it's more of an 'enter at your own risk' situation."

Kurt didn't ask her to elaborate, even though he was more than curious. He refused to get mixed up with guys this summer, especially not one that seemed to be flying too close to the sun. "Noted. Now show me around?"

Quinn dutifully toured the camp with him, and Kurt had to keep reminding himself to listen to her instead of letting his thoughts return to the smiling boy. He didn't know what it was, but something in that smile seemed to pull Kurt in. He'd just have to resist. But as his mind reverted to Blaine once again, he knew that was harder said than done.


	2. Chapter 2

**So here is the second chapter, we meet a few characters that are near and dear to my heart, as well as a couple originals! This chapter was betaed by Tori, so thanks to her, and I'm going to try to update this fanfic weekly, maybe on Fridays? We'll see how it goes. Anyways, enjoy, and I'd love to see your reviews!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. Sadly.**

* * *

Chapter Two

It took about an hour to get the full tour of the camp. It was clear that Quinn had exaggerated on the conditions of the place, but Kurt tried to keep a positive attitude. That is, until Quinn showed him the bunk they'd be staying in.

"Quinn Fabray, you are not serious right now."

The cabin was small, with rickety steps leading up to a screen door that looked like one strong gust of wind could rip it from the hinges. Inside wasn't much more appealing, and the walls were dotted with splinters waiting to happen. There were four bunk beds in total; two up against the left wall, two against the right, and he noticed that five of the beds were already claimed, bags sitting on top of the worn quilts.

"It's actually a pretty nice bunk. It has a chair." Quinn pointed to an armchair in the corner, tattered fabric stretched over the cotton he could see poking out of it.

"I'm not sitting in that disease-ridden _thing_ ," He turned up his nose, crossing his arms.

Quinn laughed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, I'll help you get your bags from your car. I promise, you'll learn to love this place."

Kurt restrained from saying the comeback he'd formed, following her back to his car, where many other cars were now dropping off kids, as they had been for the last half hour. Quinn hadn't lied about the age group, all of the kids being dropped off seemed middleschool age. He wondered what bunk he'd be assigned to; he'd sleep in the counselor's bunk with Quinn and the others, but he knew that each counselor was assigned a group of kids to watch over and guide during the day and evenings. He only hoped he didn't have to do anything involving sports.

By the time they'd lugged Kurt's bags to the counselor's bunk again, it was time to head to the cookout that Blaine had mentioned earlier. Quinn left for it early, saying she had to help serve the food, and left Kurt alone to make the best of the closet space he was given as he unpacked. He'd have to share the closet with whoever would be sleeping in the bottom bunk on his bunk bed, and the thought of having to fit his clothes into half of a closet made him cringe, but he'd make it work. Luckily, the other counselors were helping out with the cookout as well, leaving Kurt to fold and hang the counselor tees he'd been given. He was happy for the peace and quiet, but of course it didn't last.

"So we meet again."

Kurt shut the closet as he finished, turning to see Blaine entering the cabin with a duffel bag over his shoulder. "Long time no see." Blaine laughed, striding over to the bunk bed Kurt was standing next to and throwing the bag on the top bunk. It sent Kurt's empty suitcase toppling to the ground, which Blaine seemed unfazed by. "Uh, in case you didn't notice, that bunk is taken."

Blaine smiled, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah. By me."

"By me, actually. My luggage was already there," Kurt laughed, picking up the suitcase and putting it back on the bed. With a challenging look paired with the ever present smile, Blaine pushed Kurt's luggage off the bed again.

"And now it isn't."

"Are you a child?" Kurt huffed, but he was laughing under his breath.

Blaine patted the bunk fondly. "This was my bunk last year. Great memories were made here."

"Like what?" The glint in Blaine's eyes made him regret he'd asked, and he felt his face go slightly red as he laughed again. "Nevermind. Keep it."

Blaine smiled triumphantly, thumping the bed another time. "Didn't expect you to give up so easily. Thanks, Hummel."

"Did I tell you my last name earlier?" Kurt crossed his arms, and Blaine shook his head.

"Nope. I just did a little research on you."

"So you're a stalker."

Blaine shrugged. "I'd say I'm more of a… detective, if you will."

Kurt nodded, tilting his head. "How was this research conducted?"

"Asking Quinn to tell me all I need to know about you."

"And what do you know, now?"

Blaine leaned against the bedframe and pulled off his baseball cap, tapping his fingers on the brim. Kurt tried not to indulge in the sight of the loose curls that fell over his forehead with the action. "That you can sing, you can speak French… and you're single." He ticked each thing off on his fingers, and Kurt couldn't help but notice the tangle of bracelets on his wrist. They were rainbow, and it made Kurt smile, though he couldn't assume it was for LGBT reasons.

"All true." He laughed, mimicking Blaine's pose and leaning against the neighboring bunk bed. "Do I get some information about you, too?"

Blaine sighed dramatically. "God, Kurt, I can't be expected to do all the work. If you want to know about me, do your own research."

Kurt put his hands on his hips amusedly. "That's hardly fair, I don't know anyone here."

"But everyone knows me." He didn't say it in an arrogant way, it was almost like he was just stating a fact. And from what Quinn had told him earlier, it _did_ seem like a fact.

"Fine. Then I'll ask around and figure out your deepest, darkest secrets," He said casually, stepping away from the beds and going for the door, only to have it swing open just before he reached it. A guy that looked their age stood in the doorway, grinning widely in a way that wasn't nearly as endearing as Blaine's. This one had far more hidden intentions underneath it.

"So which one of you is gonna help me break in my bed?"

* * *

"Quinn, how am I supposed to share a room with that guy?"

It was a while later, and Quinn had returned to walk with Kurt to the cookout, listening to him vent about the guy he'd met, who Kurt learned to be called Sebastian. "That's just how he is. We all deal with him, you can too."

"It looks like Blaine more than just deals with him." Kurt muttered under his breath. He'd left the cabin shortly after Sebastian had entered it, quick to avoid further conversation with the guy.

"He'd never actually pull anything on you, though," Quinn continued. "Well, aside from a few possible pranks. But that's besides the point. I think him and Blaine are dating again, so you don't need to worry about Sebastian putting the moves on you," Her voice was teasing, and Kurt didn't have the heart to tell her that's not what was bothering him.

"Again?" He settled for saying instead, to which Quinn blew out a dramatic breath to.

"He's the guy I mentioned, the one that is with Blaine off and on. None of the counselors like him that much, but he's the only one that might be crazier than Blaine. And it's certainly fascinating to see a trainwreck waiting to happen."

The conversation was left here, as they were arriving at the cookout. Sebastian and Blaine had hung back, and Kurt was assuming they were doing things he would rather not think about, so he let himself become immersed in the atmosphere here instead. The air smelled strongly of smoke, the good kind of smell that represented campfires and barbecues, and it was still warm enough to be comfortable in a T-shirt. He heard snippets of the kids' conversations as he walked by, and again reminded himself to look into a music program when he saw a kid clutching a guitar to his chest.

"I have to get to serving, so go save me a seat at the counselors' table." Quinn nodded towards a picnic bench on the outskirts of the main grouping of kids tables, and then took her place behind the serving stand, where platters of grilled food and coolers of drinks resided. Kurt grabbed a bottle of water, then went to the table Quinn had pointed out. He didn't see anybody else from McKinley, but this was more of a blessing than a curse.

He took a seat at the table, and quickly became acquainted with the remaining four counselors, whose names he learned to be Nick, Jeff, Cate, and Nicole. Jeff, a blonde who seemed to find everything funny, was quick to give him a couple 'tips on navigating bunk life', as he called it, and the girls added a few of their own contributions in as well. Both of them seemed really sweet, and bantered with everyone like they'd known them forever. They probably had. Nick only nodded his agreement to the conversation topics, he didn't seem to be as outgoing as the other counselors. But he still seemed friendly. They all did. Maybe they'd overshadow Sebastian.

"Where are Blaine and Sebastian?"

Speak of the devil. Kurt sipped his water, rolling the cap between his fingers. "The bunk."

This seemed to spark everyone's interest, and Jeff leaned in close. "So it's true? They're really dating? We all thought they'd end up ignoring eachother the second they got to camp. I mean, last summer things between them were pretty rough- ow!" Jeff glared at Nick, who'd kicked him under the table.

"Jeff, mind your own business for once." He said it with the fondness of a compliment. "What Blaine and Sebastian do doesn't have anything to do with us."

"It had to do with us when they used my bed." Jeff muttered, and Kurt was gathering that the counselors weren't a fan of Blaine and Sebastian's relationship. Or maybe just Sebastian himself.

"Whatever, they'll show up here eventually, they can't miss it." Nicole smiled, seeming to take Nick's side in the scuffle.

Kurt smiled, but he kept thinking about what Jeff had mentioned. What went wrong between them last summer? Maybe if he could get Jeff alone, he'd tell him. He seemed more than okay with talking about it. Quinn rejoined them after the food had been served, and the counselors caught up, going over the highlights of their school years. Jeff and Nick went to the same school, Dalton Academy, and so did Blaine. Sebastian went to a private school in Pennsylvania, but came to Ohio for the summers, part of a custody agreement between his parents, as Kurt found out. Nicole and Cate both went to Dalton's sister school. Conversation flowed effortlessly, and Kurt found it incredibly easy to talk to everyone, like he had also known them for a while.

"Look, there are Blaine and Sebastian." Cate nodded towards the approaching boys, and Kurt sighed internally. Everything had been going well.

"Miss me?" Sebastian's grin was back in place, and he greeted everyone, sitting across from Kurt. Blaine sat at the other side of the table, catching up with the girls, as he'd already seen everybody else.

"Not really." Jeff shrugged, but there was still a friendly note to his voice. Whatever drama Sebastian had stirred up before, he was obviously still close with the other counselors, even though it seemed to be a love/hate relationship.

"Liar." Sebastian turned his attention on Kurt, smiling in a way that seemed half apologetic. "By the way, sorry to occupy the bunk earlier. You could've stayed."

Kurt raised his eyebrows, Jeff snorting. "How generous."

Sebastian shrugged. "I try. Anyways, we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Sebastian, but you probably already know that. And you're Kurt?"

Kurt nodded. "In the flesh. I've heard a lot about you."

Sebastian laughed, like he knew what that meant, and he probably did. He seemed like the type of guy that knew people talked about him, and he knew that it wasn't all good things. "I'm sure."

He left Kurt alone then, striking up conversation with Quinn, and Kurt got up to toss his empty water bottle. From afar, looking back at the table, it was funny to see the group dynamic without hearing what anyone was saying. Sebastian's posture was straight and confident, like you could tell just by looking at him that he was commanding the conversation. Jeff and Nick sat close to eachother, it was clear they were close friends, but where Jeff was constantly shaking with laughter, Nick was more reserved, mostly talking to just Jeff. Nicole and Cate had moved on to talk to Quinn, heads drawn in like they were saying something they didn't want the others to overhear. Kurt would ask Quinn about it later, maybe.

And then there was Blaine. His posture was as confident as Sebastian's, but in a different way. He wasn't actively seeking everyone's attention like Sebastian was, people gravitated to him. But he was looking at Kurt. Realizing this, Kurt gave him a pointed look, which Blaine acknowledged with a smile and a tilt of his head. Kurt went back to the table, sitting in front of him this time. "So, I trust the top bunk will be mine when we get back?"

Blaine laughed, shaking his head. "I'm afraid I've officially made it my own. Me and Sebastian, specifically."

Kurt played off his disappointment with a laugh. He'd hoped that they hadn't actually done anything, that they'd only been catching up. But he'd just have to accept that… they were an item. An unpredictable couple, but a couple nonetheless. "That was too much information."

Blaine smiled and ate a few bites of the food he'd gotten. "Sorry. At least we waited until after you left."

"Really, it's too much," Kurt laughed, rolling his eyes. "I didn't know you two were dating. Quinn mentioned it."

Blaine shrugged. "Yeah, I guess we are," He said casually, returning to eating.

Blaine seemed hardly attached to the idea. They definitely weren't head over heels for eachother. But Kurt reminded himself to keep his head out of the clouds, Blaine was still not an option for him. No boys. And especially no Blaine. As long as he kept telling himself that, nothing bad would happen. Right?


	3. Chapter 3

**So, I'm a couple days late for updating, but it was for good reason, I promise. Thanks to those who have followed/favorited/reviewed this story! It makes me extremely happy and motivated to write, so I can get updates out faster. (:**

 **Anyways, this chapter was again betaed by Tori, so thanks to her! Let me know what you guys think of the relationships I hint at in this chapter (;**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

Kurt had never had to share a room in his life. Being an only child, he'd grown accustomed to peaceful nights, where he could unwind by himself with his own music playing, or be left alone to do his skincare routine. It was only his first night here, and he could tell there was going to be a drastic change.

Just entering the cabin, music was playing loudly from a speaker he couldn't find in the room. Jeff and the girls had beat them to the cabin, so Kurt and Nick trailed behind, Blaine and Sebastian left to help with cleanup from the barbecue.

"There you guys are." Jeff smiled, and he eagerly beckoned for them to join him and the girls on one of the bunkbeds. With some effort, they all fit onto the mattress, and Jeff turned the music that was playing down. "Blaine and Sebastian are gonna get us some drinks, but while we wait, we need to have girl talk."

Nick rolled his eyes, getting off the bed and climbing to the top bunk. "You mean gossip fest. I won't be participating."

"Sure. But anyone not participating in girl talk gets talked about." Jeff grinned, and Nick had no reply, the wood creaking above their heads as he settled into bed. "Anyways, I propose we finish where we left off with the Blaine and Sebastian talk."

Kurt laughed, biting his lip. "I kind of want to know everything."

Cate whistled, wiggling her eyebrows. "Got your eye on one of them?"

He blushed, laughing. "Of course not. They're taken." He stated the obvious, ignoring the look Quinn flashed him.

"We wouldn't blame you," Jeff leaned back against the headboard. "Blaine just looks better every summer. And Sebastian's an ass, but pretty easy on the eyes." He winked, and Nicole breathed out.

"Think they're for real this time? Like, committed relationship type of real?"

Silence fell, until Jeff broke it with a laugh. "God, you're funny. I needed a good joke."

Kurt looked around at the counselors, trying to grasp what wasn't being said. "I still don't know what happened with them last summer," He finally said, trying to gauge their reactions. They seemed to quietly war over who would be the one to tell the story, until finally Quinn sighed.

"We don't know, exactly. They kind of just… imploded. They're both so… self destructive, they just didn't do well in a relationship. They were fighting all the time, and Sebastian was pretty open about the fact that he was seeing other guys in between weeks here. It got pretty bad, and then one night, one of the last nights here, they got in a huge blowout."

Jeff, who had been keeping his tongue while she was talking, blurted, "We named it 'The Night Everything Went to Shit'."

"No, _you_ named it that." Nick's voice carried from above them, and Jeff responded to this by banging his fist on the frame of Nick's bed.

"Anyways, they were fighting, and we were all here, and they were calling eachother every name in the book, and then Sebastian threw an empty bottle at him from the end of summer counselor's party, and it shattered on Blaine's arm and got glass in it." Quinn winced as she recounted the event, and Kurt only stared at her, shaking his head slowly.

"And now they're dating?" He said incredulously, and Cate shrugged.

"There were still a couple days of camp left after it happened, Sebastian felt awful about it. They talked out all their issues, and we've kind of forgiven but not forgotten, for the sake of making things not awkward around here. I mean, he is still our friend. Just a friend that makes really terrible decisions. We all thought Blaine would mature, but it looks like he's back to the same shit with Sebastian."

Kurt took a minute to digest this. At first, it didn't add up to him. They acted like a couple, they didn't seem to have problems. But then he remembered how they'd sat apart at the cookout, and how Blaine had seemed hesitant to even classify him and Sebastian as actually dating. It made sense now. He had no idea why they'd go through hell only to put themselves back into the same situation, but he had a feeling he'd never fully understand either of them.

Just then, the door opened, and Sebastian and Blaine entered, each with cases of beer. "Now comes the time to take the edge off the fact that we're stuck here for eight weeks." Sebastian grinned, cracking open a bottle with the opener on his key ring. Kurt looked at him and the bottle in his hand, trying to picture him throwing it, or getting mad. But all he could see was that taunting smile, so he looked away. He didn't want to try to picture Blaine fighting with Sebastian.

Everyone grabbed drinks except Kurt and Quinn, who declined. Jeff climbed to the top bunk with Nick, and Kurt returned to his bed with Quinn. He chatted absently with her, but kept catching himself looking at Blaine. He, Sebastian, and the girls were sat on the floor, getting progressively louder and more uninhibited as multiple drinks set in. Blaine was cradling his bottle, laughing animatedly and leaning into Cate, who was hugging him into her side. For a moment, Kurt caught Blaine's eye across the room, and Blaine beckoned for him to join the circle, all smiles and sweeping gestures. How could Kurt say no? He and Quinn joined the circle, and Blaine put his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Much better."

If Sebastian heard it, he didn't let on. He seemed more sober than the others, though the bottle he was toying with was empty. Kurt supposed he drank a lot, and could handle the alcohol better. "Tomorrow we get our groups assigned." Sebastian brought up, crossing his legs. "If I get bratty kids like last year, I'm quitting."

They laughed, and Quinn shook her head. "No, I recognized a lot of kids from last year, and they're all good kids. Robyn gave me some secret intel, I'm getting a group of girls." Kurt recognized the name Robyn, as Quinn had mentioned she was one of the camp managers he would meet tomorrow. From what he understood, the campers bunks were divided into boys and girls cabins, and each cabin had a counselor assigned to it. During the day, you weren't associated with the bunk, you were stationed to manage a camp activity. It was only nights when they were responsible for rounding up their campers and getting them into bed safe.

"Any word on what activities we're managing this week?" Nicole tilted her head, swirling her drink in the bottle.

"I know I'm managing arts and crafts with Cate." Quinn smiled at her, who cheered. Each week, there were four new activities the campers would rotate through, and then got free time besides that.

"Robyn told me I'm on lifeguard duty with you, Nicole." Blaine spoke up, and Kurt started slightly, realizing how close Blaine was to him. Slowly, he'd ended up closer, his shoulder against Kurt's.

"Kurt, I think you're coaching kickball games with Sebastian." Quinn added, and his heart sank. He couldn't think of a worse fate.

Sebastian, however, seemed thrilled. "I can't wait." His voice was overly sweet, like he was teasing him. But nobody was entirely sober enough to notice.

Everyone carried on conversation, and Kurt slipped out around eleven, changing and brushing his teeth in the cabin's attached bathroom. He would have to forgo his skin routine, but he'd make up for it when he went home for the weekend. Rubbing his jaw, he left the bathroom, seeing that Quinn had retired to her bed. Nick and Jeff were both in the top bunk of their set of beds, and Kurt smiled when he saw them sleeping side by side, Jeff's arm hanging over Nick's body. He'd have to have Jeff tell him about what that meant another day. For now, he was content to just climb into bed and get to sleep. The now smaller group in the middle of the room remained talking, but they had quieted. It was dark, someone must have switched the light off while he was in the bathroom, so it took him a minute to realize Blaine wasn't on the floor anymore, but rather the top bed in their bunk.

Kurt smiled briefly at Blaine in the limited lighting. "Don't roll off."

Blaine, still a little tipsy, laughed too hard at the stupid joke, then ruffled Kurt's hair, the only thing within reaching distance from his perch on the top bed. "Catch me if I do?"

Kurt laughed, thankful for the darkness that hid his blush. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll catch you." Whatever Blaine said next was unintelligible, somewhere between sleep and consciousness, slurred with laughter. Kurt shook his head, ducking under and settling in bed, staring up at the wood frame above him. Once he started counseling tomorrow, it would be easier to distract himself from this boy. At least, telling himself that helped him fall asleep that night.

* * *

Kurt had always thought being woken to the sound of a trumpet at camp was just something they did in movies. But as the horn blasted through a speaker at 7:30 AM, he realized it was an unfortunate reality. Kicking off his covers, he yawned and went to the closet, Blaine dropping from the top bunk without bothering to use the ladder and waiting for room to grab his own clothes from the shared closet.

"Goodmorning." Kurt laughed, as Blaine seemed to be asleep on his feet.

"'Morning, yeah." Blaine stretched, and Kurt averted his gaze from the muscles stretching under his shirt with the action.

"What can I expect from breakfast?"

Blaine grabbed a shirt from a hanger, pulling off the one he'd worn to bed carelessly to change. "A lot of kids that are too lively for this hour of the day. And mediocre food."

He smiled, watching the other counselors get up and get ready, taking turns in the bathroom. "Don't get my hopes up."

Blaine laughed, a sound rough with sleep, and it made Kurt's heart flutter. "It's fine, you won't mind it. You'll meet your kids, too." Before Kurt could respond, Sebastian was there, pulling Blaine in for a kiss without a word of greeting to either of them. Kurt winced and walked away, heading to the bathroom instead. He didn't feel like waiting out their makeout session to continue talking.

"Happy Tuesday, Kurt." Jeff smiled, too widely for 7:30 AM. "Sleep well?"

Kurt breathed in before smiling, allowing himself to be distracted. "Yeah. What about you?" He tilted his head, referencing Jeff's cuddling with Nick, but it seemed to go over his head.

"Great." Jeff tossed his slightly too long hair off his face, then waved. "See you at the mess hall." He walked out with Nick, chatting animatedly to him, even though the boy seemed just as asleep as Blaine was.

Laughing to himself, Kurt entered the bathroom and changed quickly, brushing his teeth and styling his hair the best he could with limited resources. When he emerged, Quinn was waiting for him, and they headed to breakfast together, Kurt not bothering to see if Sebastian and Blaine were still going at it.

"So, excited to coach?"

Kurt gave her a look. "Sure. Being with Sebastian for extended time will certainly make it better, too." He added sarcastically, and she laughed.

"You'll be fine. Just ignore him."

"Something tells me he won't let me." Conversation stopped as they entered the mess hall, where long tables seated kids ranging in age from ten to fourteen. They were already eating, and Kurt was pleased that everyone seemed to be getting along, and that no kid was sitting alone. He was sensitive to that kind of thing. Quinn walked with him through the food line, where he introduced himself to the lunch ladies and just grabbed a couple pieces of fruit.

"You'll meet Robyn soon, she'll come and check in with us before she makes her little speech." Quinn smiled, sitting at a lunch table where some of the counselors that had gotten here first sat, already eating.

And sure enough, a woman walked to their table just a few minutes later. She was heavyset, with dark hair pulled into a braid, and a genuine smile on her face. "Goodmorning. I hope the first night went well?"

"It was great, Robyn. Kurt is already fitting right in, too." Nicole spoke up, gesturing to him.

Robyn extended her hand to shake his.

"How nice to meet you. Quinn told me great things about you." She smiled, and Kurt shook her hand, smiling back appreciatively.

"I hope I live up to her description, then." He laughed, Robyn waving her hand.

"Please, I'm sure you'll be a lovely addition to the Lakeview staff. I trust the other counselors have given you some direction here?"

The others at the table nodded that they had. "They've been a huge help." Kurt supplied, and Robyn smiled, stepping away from the table.

"Wonderful. Well, I'll see you around the camp, come to me if you need me." She waved, then headed away.

"She's really sweet." Kurt turned his attention back to them, and Cate nodded her agreement.

"I know. She's always giving us the benefit of the doubt. Like when Blaine and Sebastian are late to breakfast on the first day and she pretends not to notice." They laughed, Kurt biting into his apple to hide the fact he didn't find it as funny.

"Whatever, let's talk about tonight. I say we christen the lake by going night swimming." Jeff spoke up, and Cate cheered, high fiving him.

"I'm so in. Last year's night swimming was so fun, I still don't know how we got Sebastian and Nicole to skinny dip."

"Sebastian will find any excuse to take his clothes off, and Nicole had one too many beers, that's how." Nick twirled his fork, and Kurt again wondered how someone could be so blunt and still come off as non-threatening.

Nicole blushed, but laughed with the rest of the table. "I admit, it got a little out of hand."

Kurt chuckled and shook his head. "You all are crazy, you know."

"We know." Jeff and Cate responded in unison.

Robyn was tapping on a microphone then, drawing everyone's attention to the front of the large room, where she was flanked by the two assistant managers, Calum and Erin. Calum was in his twenties, with sandy hair that looked like it needed a styling. But he was attractive, Kurt had to admit, with a surfer-type look about him. Erin was older, and seemed stricter than Robyn just by looking at her. "Goodmorning, campers. If this is your first time here, welcome to Camp Lakeview." She clapped, the rest of the room joining in. "And if it isn't, welcome back. I love seeing your lovely faces each summer."

Kurt smiled as the kids clapped again. He could see why the counselors wanted to come back here after being campers, it was a really friendly environment with obvious sentimental value to them. As Robyn continued talking, going over the camp rules and curfews, he heard Sebastian and Blaine slip into the room, sitting at the table.

"Try to be less obvious." Cate laughed, and Sebastian only grinned. Blaine stole some of the apple slices off Kurt's plate, eating them casually.

"Ask first next time." Kurt laughed, and Blaine smiled.

"I knew you would've said yes."

"Not everyone gives you everything you want just because of your charm." Kurt teased, and Blaine raised his eyebrows.

"You think I'm charming?"

"I think you're overcompensating."

Blaine laughed, tilting his head. "For what?"

"I'll figure it out." Kurt shrugged, grinning and turning his attention back to Robyn as she finished talking, and stepped back to let the other counselors introduce themselves.

When Calum stepped forward, he looked right at the counselors' table for a second, smiling widely. Kurt was confused for a second, but then he saw Cate's blush, and widened his eyes. They must have a thing. He looked at Jeff to confirm his wordless theory, and he nodded, winking. Kurt laughed to himself, looking back to the front, listening to Calum's short introductions, then Erin's.

"Well, campers, you can look at your schedules and move to your day activity." Robyn took the microphone again, dismissing the campers. "If you have any questions, ask a counselor! Your official bunk counselor will be assigned tonight."

The campers left the mess hall in waves, and the counselors hung back to wait for any possible questions. When the last of the campers filtered out, Kurt left the building, Sebastian catching up to him. "Ready to coach some soccer?"

Kurt looked at Sebastian's too-wide grin, and smiled tightly. "Ready as I'll ever be."


	4. Chapter 4

**Surprisingly, I am sticking to my update schedule, here is the fourth chapter! Finally, we delve deeper into some relationships, good and bad ones...**

 **This chapter is, as usual, betaed by Tori (: Enjoy, and leave reviews, because they're my favorite.**

 **Disclaimer: I still don't own Glee.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

"So what's your story?"

After setting up the kids in teams, they began playing a hybrid between soccer and kickball that they made up, Kurt and Sebastian coaching from the side of the field. That was when Sebastian asked that question. And Kurt didn't speak right away, because his answer depended on what Sebastian defined story as. Kurt had a lot of stories. Good and bad, but all a part of him. The problem was deciding which version of his story he wanted to give to a near stranger. He ultimately decided to give the abridged version, the one that left out the parts that were arguably the most personal. "It's simple, really. Just a kid from a small town in Ohio, trying to live through high school so I can move on to better things."

Sebastian snorted. "Cliché answer."

"It was a cliché question," Kurt retorted, shrugging, the smile he wore more for the sake of being polite rather than actual happiness.

"Fair."

There was a stretch of time where neither of them said anything, Kurt silent because he'd rather skip casualties, and Sebastian seeming to be deep in thought. But with closer scrutiny, Kurt realized he was just texting, phone hidden in his pocket but the screen still accessible. "What about you? What's your story?"

Sebastian only laughed, not looking up from his phone. "All sunshine and rainbows."

Kurt knew he was lying, and it irritated him that Sebastian wasn't even trying to act interested in the conversation. "I'm sure." He said dryly, looking out at the field. Whatever. He reminded himself that not everyone would like him. He certainly didn't like everyone. But then Sebastian spoke again.

"I mean, my life has been perfect. Trust fund baby with divorced parents who let me have red wine when I was eleven. The classic neglect that comes with having a baby to save a marriage."

Kurt looked over in surprise, but Sebastian's face was still molded into a grin, and he shook his head. He didn't want to try to understand him. In Kurt's eyes, people like Sebastian didn't deserve to have people that would spend the time trying to figure him out. Idly, he thought of Blaine in a similar light. He knew that getting too close meant putting himself at risk, because he would never know Blaine's next move. "That does sound perfect," Kurt said, lying instead of pushing the subject.

"Tell me about it." Sebastian tipped his head back to face the sun, his hands resting on his hips. Kurt did the opposite, ducking his head to stare at the grass. He imagined laying on the field with Blaine and being the one to see behind whatever persona he entertained. It felt too unrealistic, and he squashed the daydream, picking his head up and calling a time out. As he passed out water to the kids, he caught Sebastian looking at him.

"What?" He said, suddenly feeling like Sebastian could see every thought he had about Blaine.

"Nothing," Sebastian replied, though his gaze didn't falter. "Blaine really likes you." Kurt felt his heart pick up, and he felt exposed. Before he could respond, Sebastian continued. "I don't know why."

"Maybe he likes me because he's actually had friendly conversation with me," He lifted his chin slightly, and Sebastian rolled his eyes, smile returning.

"There's nothing I hate more than friendly conversation." Kurt poured himself a cup of water, sipping it so he didn't have to respond to that. He didn't know what to say anyways. "Anyways, I'm not blind. It's only the second day and I've already caught you staring at him more times than I care to count."

Kurt crossed his arms, thankful the kids were back on the field so they didn't overhear this. "Blaine's a friend. He and the other counselors are my friends. You're the only one that seems to have a problem with me."

Sebastian laughed. "That's because I'm the only one who sees through your act. I just thought I'd tell you that there's no use trying to win Blaine over. Guys like you don't last with guys like him. You'll be swept up in his hurricane and dropped on your ass," He shrugged, and Kurt hated that he was reaffirming what he'd already thought about.

"What about you? How come you two work?"

Sebastian gave Kurt a long look, his smile lingering. "We don't. But I'm the kind of guy that likes hurricane boys."

Kurt instantly despised the nickname, mostly because what Sebastian was saying was true. "He's all yours."

"Good."

They ceased talking again, but Kurt had a million more things to say, his first question being, how can you settle a hurricane?

* * *

Kurt believed that surviving the day coaching with Sebastian was a miracle. He only hoped he could keep it up for the week. By the time evening rolled around, he was thoroughly exhausted and slightly sunburnt. Damnit. Dinner went by quickly, and Kurt managed to get away with being mostly quiet, Jeff and Cate carrying conversation largely.

Then it was time to meet the bunk he'd be monitoring. It was silly, because they were kids, but Kurt still felt the familiar twinge of anxiety that came with meeting new people, he was so used to seeing the snap judgement written on their faces. He knew kids wouldn't be so harsh, but he still took a long time to convince himself of it. He said quick goodbyes to the counselors as they went their separate ways, and headed down the path to the bunk he'd been assigned. It was sunset, so he could see well enough without a flashlight, but he brought one with him for the walk back. He only hoped he got a group he could connect with, that would listen to him without getting too rambunctious. By some lucky chance, upon opening the door, he was greeted by a group of seven girls, looking about eleven years old. "Hey, you guys. I'm Kurt." He smiled, and was relieved when they all smiled back, offering their own hellos and introductions.

"We were hoping we would get you!" One of the girls spoke up, sliding off of her bunk bed. "We wanted to be the first to meet the new counselor."

"I was just as excited to meet you guys." Kurt laughed, closing the bunk's door behind him.

"I'm Maeve." The same girl said, and held out her hand for a shake, a confident smile on her face. She reminded him of Rachel.

Amusedly, he shook her small hand. "Hi, Maeve. That's a great name."

Maeve beamed. "Thanks. Anyways, we pretty much know the drill. Brush our teeth, don't leave the bunk without a buddy, and don't go into the woods or the lake."

Kurt laughed, nodding. "Well, you know even more than me, it seems."

"Probably." Maeve turned back to her bunkmates, and Kurt laughed at how innocently it was said compared to how scathingly an adult would say it. "I call the bathroom first!"

Kurt stayed in the bunk for about half an hour, making sure each camper got into bed and asking them a little about how their days went. They talked to him easily, and Kurt found that having conversation with them was actually enjoyable.

"I just wanna have some music activities."

Kurt turned towards the bunk of the girl that had spoken, a camper named Lauren. "Really?"

"Yeah. I want to sing and dance and stuff, but they don't have it." Lauren sighed, and already, the gears in Kurt's head were turning. He had put the proposition of music in the back of his mind, but maybe he should bring it up to Robyn. Especially if the kids were asking for it, he knew he loved having the arts involved in his childhood himself.

"Tell you what. How about I run it by the managers, and see what I can do?" Kurt asked, and when her face lit up, he knew he'd push the idea as hard as he could.

With his new project on the brain, he said goodnight to the girls, leaving their bunk and jogging back towards his own. He wished it was morning already so he could pitch his idea. A camp musical. His heart soared at just the thought of it. Getting kids involved with theater would be amazing, and there was set design for the kids who liked the arts and crafts, costume design for the kids who liked to get hands on-

"Yo, Hummel!"

Kurt's thoughts were broken by the sound of Jeff's voice, and he turned to see the blonde running over to him. "Hey, Jeff."

"Hey." Jeff fell into step with him as they walked to their bunk. "I got the rowdiest group of little rascals ever, I almost got a toothbrush in my eye."

Kurt laughed, rolling his eyes. "I'm sure you deserved it."

Jeff flipped him off, shining his flashlight ahead of them. "But it's cool, they'll be perfect for my annual prank."

Kurt raised his eyebrows. "Do I even want to know?"

Jeff tilted the flashlight to shine under his face, grinning mischievously. "No, I'll let you have plausible deniability, because I like you."

He smiled at that, letting his hands reside in his pockets. "So, I talked with Sebastian today."

"Did you two have a cat fight?"

Kurt laughed. "Pretty close. I think it's safe to say we don't get along."

Jeff twirled the flashlight in his grip, watching the beam stray across the path. "Damn. I hate to make you worry, but I wouldn't want to be on his bad side. He still won't admit he was the one that bleached Nick's hair that one summer as payback for Nick accidentally tripping him. We were kids. But I'll get him to confess one day."

Kurt laughed at the determination in Jeff's voice. "I'm sure you will. He told me to stay away from Blaine, pretty much. That we would never work." He felt his expression twist at the words, and he kicked a rock as he walked.

Jeff shined the light on Kurt and opened his mouth wide. "He sees you as a threat? Shit, I'm jealous."

"Don't be. Now I'll have to constantly sniff my shampoo for Nair."

Jeff snickered, but patted his shoulder. "You could pull off bald."

"Thanks." He said half-heartedly, kind of irritated with himself for letting Sebastian ruin his good mood. He shook it off and smiled again, clearing his throat. "Anyways, are you gonna do the lake tonight still?"

"Nah, Nick needs my help with something."

"What's the something?"

Jeff looked at him, biting his lip against a smile. "Just something."

Kurt bumped his arm. "What am I missing here?"

"Nothing, you nosy bastard." Jeff laughed, hopping up the steps of the bunk as they reached it. Kurt shook his head, chuckling and following Jeff inside, where some of the others had already returned. Jeff climbed up to Nick's bed to sit and talk with him again, leaving Kurt to change and get ready for bed, emerging from the bathroom just as everyone else was arriving.

"Hey, Kurt." Blaine said, sitting crosslegged on Kurt's bed, where he must have been waiting while Kurt was in the bathroom.

"You have the wrong bed." Kurt smiled, sitting across from him and folding his arms.

"I just wanted to see how the other half lives."

He laughed, leaning against his headboard. "I actually like it down here, though I didn't have much of a choice."

Blaine smiled, stretching his arms so his hands touched the top bedframe. "Well, you're welcome, then. For giving you the opportunity."

"How generous of you."

Blaine turned his gaze around the cabin, and Kurt realized Sebastian wasn't there. Maybe he was still with his bunk. "No problem. Hey, aren't we supposed to be going to the lake?"

"Jeff cancelled." He shrugged, and Blaine smirked.

"So Nick's cancelling too, then. Oh well, let's go to the lake." Blaine was already standing up, and Kurt looked up at him for a minute.

"Just us?"

Blaine tilted his head. "Well, if no one else is coming, then yeah, it's just us."

He blushed slightly, standing himself. "Obviously." He laughed a little, and nodded towards the door. "Lead the way."

Blaine left the bunk with him, grabbing a flashlight on the way out and heading down the path to the lake. "So, how was coaching?"

Kurt was conflicted for a moment, masking his hesitation with a cough. "Fun. The kids are really great."

"And Sebastian?"

"Also really great." He winced at how false it came out, glad that it was hard to make out his facial expression in the dark.

"Bullshit, you don't like him." Blaine's tone wasn't accusatory like he might expect. It was said more like a fact. Blaine saw right through him.

He breathed in sharply and shrugged. "I wouldn't say that. I just- I don't even really know him. But I'm sure once I get to know him, it will be fine."

Blaine laughed a little. "I've been telling myself that since I met him."

Kurt glanced over to him, surprised he'd say something like that. He didn't even know if he should respond, given how personal it felt. "You've been dating for two summers and you don't really know him?"

Blaine crossed his arms. "Go ahead, bash me for it. He just… he's hard to figure out. And he doesn't make it easy. He's always about the physical side of things."

"You're pretty hard to figure out yourself."

"Not true, I'm an open book." Blaine shook his head, laughing a little. Clearly he was still troubled by thoughts of Sebastian.

"Really? Then I can ask you anything, and you'll answer?" Kurt challenged. They'd reached the lake now, and he sat on the dock, the wood rough under the thin material of his pajamas. But he didn't care.

"Be my guest." Blaine sat next to him, letting his bare feet hang in the water.

"I'll start off easy." He tapped his fingers on his thigh. "What's your middle name?"

"Devon."

Kurt smiled. "Blaine Devon Anderson. I like it."

"That makes one of us." They both laughed, and Kurt moved on. It was hard to pick questions when he wanted to know everything.

"Okay, next question-"

"Wait, I want to know your middle name. How is it fair if I'm the only one being interrogated?" Blaine interrupted, the familiar grin forming again.

"You make a good point." He sighed, biting his lip and blushing a little. "It's Elizabeth."

Blaine didn't seem fazed by the peculiarity of it, only smiled and repeated it aloud like Kurt had done. "I like it. Is it your mom's name?"

"How'd you know?"

He shrugged, swinging his feet gently in the water, causing ripples around the dock. "I can't think of another reason why you'd have that as a middle name." He laughed softly, and Kurt did too, before taking a deep breath.

"Yeah. She, uh, she died. When I was eight." He nodded, looking down at the water. Blaine's touch made him jump a little, and he looked to the hand now resting on his shoulder.

"That's really hard." He didn't offer any words of solace, but Kurt didn't need them, and the touch felt like a comfort all it's own.

He smiled a little. "It's gotten easier."

"Doesn't mean it isn't still hard." Conversation lapsed, and Kurt couldn't help but think about Blaine's hand still touching him. He didn't want the contact to go away, but it did, and Blaine turned his attention to the sky. "My turn to ask a question."

"Hey, I don't remember giving you the right to make your own questions. You're going rogue."

"It's the only way I know how." Blaine laughed, and he laid back on the dock, keeping his gaze on the stars. "Where do you see yourself in ten years?"

Kurt laid back next to Blaine, folding his arms over his chest and thinking. He'd be twenty seven then, hopefully a graduate of a performing arts college and maybe even somebody's husband. "In ten years… I'm a performer. On stage, for sure. I'm satisfied with how I got there."

"That's a great thing to be."

"A performer?"

"Satisfied."

Kurt studied the sky. "I know. Not everyone gets to be." Blaine only hummed in response. "Will you be satisfied in ten years?"

He laughed. "Who knows. I'll just be happy to be out of Ohio."

"That's true." Kurt had to agree, letting his arm hang off the dock to pull his fingers through the water.

"So, it's not officially christening the lake if we don't swim in it, right?" Blaine suddenly piped up, changing the subject. Kurt let him, turning his head to face him.

"I'm not going in the water." He said seriously, but he was smiling.

"Why?" Blaine sat up, pulling off his shirt in that one smooth motion that all guys seemed just programmed to know how to do. Kurt had missed that skill.

"I'm- I'm in my pajamas." It was the only reason he could think of on the spot, and Blaine only smiled.

"Then take them off."

"At least take me to dinner first."

Blaine laughed, a loud and genuine one, not like Sebastian's taunting chuckles. "Last one in has to clean the bathroom!" Blaine was already pulling off his shorts, and in the moment, Kurt put aside every doubt and pulled off his shirt and pants as quickly as possible, laughing hard.

"You got a head start!" Kurt cried, Blaine already jumping off the dock in his underwear, Kurt close behind. Adrenaline replaced anxiety as he plunged under the water; cold now that the sun had long set. But it felt good, re-energizing. When he finally came above water, Blaine was shaking his wet hair off, swearing between bouts of laughter. "You're a cheater." Kurt laughed breathlessly, treading water and trying not to get too close to him. But Blaine swam closer, his wide smile bright even in the darkness.

"You're just mad that I beat you."

"By cheating." They were so close now that their kicking feet were occasionally brushing, and he had to turn his head to keep from blatantly staring at Blaine's mouth.

"I'll help you clean, I'm just that nice."

Blaine wasn't nice. Because he must know what this was doing to Kurt, right? "You'll clean the bathroom by yourself, because I win by default." Kurt swam to the dock, his limbs tiring from the treading, and not trusting himself to be so close to Blaine.

"You're killing me." Blaine laughed from behind him, and Kurt only flashed a smile over his shoulder. _You're killing me, too_.


	5. Chapter 5

**These chapters just keep getting a bit longer each time! Hopefully you guys like them. I don't have any notes on this chapter, so read and enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated, as well.**

 **Betaed by Tori, thank you to her, and as always, a disclaimer; I don't own Glee.**

* * *

Chapter Five

Before Kurt knew it, the first week was done. He hadn't even had the chance to propose his musical idea to Robyn, he'd been so busy during the day, and so tired when it was over. Putting up with Sebastian all week as a coach certainly hadn't helped, either. So when it was finally time to leave on Friday, Kurt felt a mix of relief and sadness. He was happy to sleep in his own bed and see his father, but he had to say, he missed the friends he'd made at camp. Blaine in particular.

"Kurt!" Burt laughed as Kurt entered the kitchen, and pulled him in for a hug. Since Burt's health scares, he'd been more prone to give affections, now that he was aware how quickly life could change and the opportunities could be gone. "I feel like it's been forever."

Kurt smiled as he returned the hug, setting down the bag of laundry he'd brought home, the rest of the stuff he'd had with him residing in the car to take back with him Monday. "Only five days, Dad."

"Well, it felt longer." Burt smiled, pulling away and shaking his head. "It got lonely around here."

"I'm here now. And I'm checking to see if you actually ate the meals I made, or if they're all in the trash right now." He joked, bringing his clothes to the laundry room so his counseling tees would be ready for the week.

After that, he retreated to his room with the promise of returning to make dinner soon. Upon entering his room, he realized he'd forgotten the blissful silence of being alone. At camp, he was always around other people, even in sleep, and the change was much needed. He laid on his bed, enjoying the full mattress instead of a bunkbed, and called Rachel.

"Tell me all about camp!" Rachel said, immediately after picking up.

"Hello to you, too," Kurt laughed. Rachel had never been one to bother with small talk. "It's not bad at all. It's really good, actually."

"What's it like?"

Kurt spent the next twenty minutes saying everything that came to mind, and didn't even know he could talk so much about it. But the longer he went on, the more stories he remembered to tell her, and he realized that whether he'd expected to or not, he liked it there. Genuinely. And then, he mentioned Blaine. "Everyone's so sweet. There's this guy-"

"I know where this is leading." Rachel interrupted, smile audible in her voice.

"What?" Kurt laughed. "I haven't even said anything about him yet!"

Rachel laughed. "I can already tell you like him! What's his name?"

Kurt sighed, giving in. "Blaine."

"Blaine," She repeated in a singsong tone. "Is he the summer romance we talked about?"

"Hardly." Kurt laughed, pulling at a thread on his comforter. Hearing 'Blaine' and 'romance' associated seemed much too farfetched. "He's- not like that."

"What do you mean?" Rachel persisted, and he shrugged, even though she couldn't see it.

"He's just- not a romantic guy. He's kind of crazy, actually. The all over the place kind." He found himself struggling to find the words to describe Blaine. He was too many things. "But it doesn't even matter, because he's with somebody else. Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"It's an interesting relationship." Kurt rubbed his temple, rolling his eyes at the mere thought of Sebastian's intrusive presence. "I don't even think Blaine likes him. I think he just doesn't want to be alone."

Rachel was silent on the other end, only speaking up after a moment's pause. "I don't want you to end up heartbroken, Kurt."

Suddenly annoyed, Kurt shook his head, just for his own sake. "I'm not. You think I don't know what could happen? I've tried ignoring him. It's just- it's hard. I like him. Even if my brain is telling me not to."

Rachel's sigh sounded loud. "I still think you deserve that romance. And that you should have an open mind. But… be realistic."

"Says you." Kurt scoffed, sitting up and looking to the time. "I have to go make dinner, okay?"

"Yeah. Okay."

He hung up. It was so much harder to figure out his feelings when everybody was deciding them for him. He headed downstairs, forgetting it for now. He could deal with this come Monday.

* * *

Monday came faster than he thought possible. Before he knew it, he was hugging his dad goodbye again and driving back to Lakeview, heading down the overgrown path to the camp.

Jeff was in the parking lot already, climbing out of the most beat up truck he'd ever seen, with enough bumper stickers on the bed that it looked like they'd been wallpapered on. "Hummel, you came back. I thought for sure you'd been scared off."

Kurt laughed, pulling his bag from the backseat and shaking his head. "I don't scare so easy."

"Lucky for us." He grinned, pulling a backpack over his shoulder. It looked like it was all he'd brought, and Kurt rolled his eyes fondly.

"For me, too." Kurt walked with him towards the bunks, and already he felt the heat of the sun, though it was still early in the morning.

"It's fucking hot as fuck." Jeff muttered, Kurt laughing.

"You can say that again. At least the bunk has an air conditioner."

"Oh, you didn't hear? AC's broke. Friday afternoon, after you left, someone accidentally hit it with a baseball and broke the grate."

Kurt raised his eyebrows. "Was that someone you?"

"I'll never admit to anything." Jeff answered simply, and Kurt groaned.

"Jeff! We're all gonna die of heatstroke!"

"Worst comes to worst, it's just a really high stakes game of strip poker. Without the cards."

And upon entering the bunk, he could see what Jeff meant. It was already stifling in the cabin, even with every window open for a breeze. "Fuck you, Sterling. Seriously. You should be fanning us right now, you caused this." Cate raised her voice as they entered, but her tone held no malice. No one was mad at Jeff. It was hard to be.

"I said I was sorry like a million times." Jeff tossed his backpack on his bed, blowing his fringe out of his eyes. "This could be a bonding experience! Learning to go through a difficult time together-"

"Did I mistakenly walk into a sauna?"

Kurt turned at the sound of Blaine's voice. "Jeff broke the air conditioning."

"Accidentally!"

Blaine laughed, throwing his bag onto the top bunk and shaking his head. "Of course he did."

The rest of the counselors filtered in, all with similar complaints about the heat, none of which seemed to upset Jeff whatsoever. "I'm going to eat. At least the mess hall will be cool." He smiled, walking out with Nick, who hadn't said anything about the air conditioner.

"I second that." Cate walked out with Nicole and Quinn close behind.

He realized it was just him, Blaine, and Sebastian left, and tried to leave quickly, but then Blaine was talking to him. "Any ideas on how we're surviving until the AC's fixed?"

Kurt opened the door, smiling and not looking at Sebastian. "Lots of ice water?"

Blaine laughed, walking out with him, Sebastian trailing behind with his arms crossed. "That Jeff should get for us."

"Why don't you just jump naked in the lake together again?" Sebastian spoke up from behind them, and Kurt felt the heat rise to his cheeks, shoving his hands in his pockets and keeping his eyes ahead.

"Sebastian, I told you it was just for fun." Blaine's defense just bothered him further, and he shot him a hard look. He had to know what he was doing. He had to realize that they had some kind of connection.

"I'm sure you had a lot of fun."

"We weren't naked." Kurt added, turning around to face Sebastian, stopping the walk to breakfast.

"Blaine said-"

"We were fully clothed." Kurt said evenly, avoiding Blaine's eyes. "Whatever he said was just a joke, or trying to make you jealous, or something. I don't know. Nothing happened."

Sebastian kept his stare for a minute, then slowly redirected it towards Blaine. "Were you dressed?"

Blaine glanced to Kurt, who gave him a short nod. "Yeah. I just wanted to get your attention." He said, and Kurt didn't need to hear anymore.

"Don't involve me in your stupid fights anymore." Kurt lengthened his strides, getting ahead of them so he wouldn't have to hear whatever they said next. He knew he was the one that told the lie, that he'd practically forced Blaine to agree to it. But it still stung that Blaine went along with it. He remembered what Rachel had said on the phone, 'be realistic'. Well, this felt pretty real. Angry at himself, he wiped his teary eyes before he cried and steeled himself to enter the dining room.

* * *

"Hey, wait up."

The very last person Kurt expected to call his name when he was leaving the mess hall was Nick. But there he was, jogging until he matched Kurt's pace. "Hey." Kurt said half heartedly, not bothering to offer a smile. Nick didn't seem like the type of person that bothered with social casualties.

"You looked upset when you came in today."

Kurt glanced to him, then back to the path they were walking. "I'm fine. I'm kind of surprised you noticed. We haven't really talked. Like, at all."

Nick shrugged. "Just because I'm not talking doesn't mean I'm not aware of what's going on."

"I guess that makes sense." He smiled faintly. "But I'm fine, so-"

"Sebastian is giving you a hard time, isn't he?"

Kurt looked at him again. "You could say that."

"Because you like Blaine?"

Kurt blushed and laughed a little. "Okay, I didn't sign up for a psychoanalysis-"

This brought a smile to Nick's face. "Sorry. Jeff says I'm- too forward, sometimes."

"I think he might be onto something." Kurt chuckled, heading to the lake with him. They were both set to lifeguard today. Kurt just hadn't expected Nick to talk to him at all.

"But listen. I know how much it sucks to like someone, and not know what to do about it." His voice had softened slightly, less abrasive. Clearly this was a sensitive topic. Kurt didn't say that he knew just who Nick was talking about. "And it's the worst feeling ever, to feel like you're helpless, like you can't do anything to make it less confusing." He seemed to become introspective, and for a minute Kurt felt like he was intruding on a private moment.

"So what should I do?" He asked after a moment of pause, and Nick just looked at him.

"I… I'm trying to figure that out myself."

Kurt nodded, and as the kids started to come in their swimsuits, towels in hand, conversation dropped again. They supervised mostly in silence, which Kurt was grateful for, so his thoughts could wander. He tried not to think about Blaine and Sebastian, but he couldn't help it. Had Kurt read all the signs wrong? Did Blaine really, genuinely want to be with Sebastian? Was jumping in the lake with him 'just for fun'? And Nick had clearly been struggling with the same feelings Kurt had for a long time and he was still stuck in the same place, what if there was no solution?

Before he knew it, it was time for lunch, and the kids were drying off and heading back up towards the path. He forced himself to stop overthinking things and followed behind the kids, herding them to the mess hall. He needed something to occupy his time and thoughts. And he knew just the thing. "Nick, if anyone asks where I am, I'll be at the office."

Nick didn't ask questions, just nodded and continued with the kids to the dining hall.

Kurt branched off and headed down the path to the managers' collection of offices. If Robyn could work through this musical idea and approve it, Kurt knew he could make it happen, and then he had a distraction. A project. He was determined to have that. "Robyn?" He knocked on her door, waiting until he heard her invite him in and entering. "Hi, I just wanted to talk with you about something." He smiled as winningly as he could.

"Oh? Of course, dear, have a seat." Robyn motioned to the chair in front of her desk, sitting up more. Kurt took a second to look around. The office was cluttered, papers and files and decorations put up haphazardly, but in a way that made the place seem homey and lived-in instead of straight up disorganized. And then he saw it, a picture of Robyn and what looked like her daughter, both seated at a piano with wide smiles on. That was his in.

"Do you play?" Kurt smiled, gesturing to the photo.

Robyn looked to the frame, smiling softly as she nodded. "Yes, that's me teaching my daughter to play."

Kurt leaned in to get a better look at it. "It's amazing how much of an influence music can have on kids."

"I know, it makes them so well-rounded." Robyn looked to Kurt and smiled. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Just that, actually." Kurt breathed in and smiled. "I was thinking. And I realized the camp doesn't have any music activities. Or anything involving the arts in general. So, what if we put on a musical?" Robyn raised her eyebrows, and Kurt plowed on. "I know it's not my place to change anything here because I'm new and all, but I could direct and supervise and I bet the kids would love to help out behind the scenes and do sets and costumes and stuff-" He rambled until Robyn held up a hand to silence him.

"I think that's a great idea," She smiled, and Kurt laughed, biting his lip.

"Really?"

"Really. It's about time we brought theater here, I think the kids would love it, and they could put it on for their parents at the end of the summer." Robyn nodded, tapping her pen against her chin as she thought. "I think what I'd do is pull you from the activity rotation, and have you work on the musical every week instead."

Kurt nodded his agreement. "Yeah, and then the kids that want to do it, they can be pulled from the rotation, too."

Robyn frowned. "That's a lot of kids to supervise at once."

He shrugged. "I could do it."

"You know what? How about Blaine helps you?" She smiled again, and Kurt opened his mouth to protest, but she didn't notice. "He loves music, I know he's involved with it at his school. Plus he knows a lot of these kids well, they'd love to have him there."

"Well, we wouldn't want to be too short-staffed on the rotation-" He tried weakly, but Robyn waved him off.

"I would have Calum and Erin fill your spots, it would give them more to do." She laughed, and Kurt joined in forcedly.

"If you insist."

"I do." She smiled. "Now go to lunch before all the food is gone. Tomorrow I can meet with you and Blaine to organize the plans."

"Thanks, Robyn." His smile was tight as he got up, but Robyn didn't seem to notice it, and shook his hand as he left. Somehow, in effort to distract himself with Blaine, he'd ended up putting himself in a situation where he'd see him everyday. Alone. Working together. He cursed whatever existential force was making his life so difficult and made his way to the mess hall.

* * *

"I'm dying."

It was maybe the hundredth time it had been said, but no one protested. The bunk felt like an oven, even with the windows wide open. It was so humid Kurt felt like he could drink the air through a straw.

"I'm gonna kill you, Jeff."

That phrase was even more reinstated than the last. But they were afraid that actually getting up for confrontation would make them more sweaty than they already were, so they kept to their bunks, or strewn across the floor.

Quinn sighed, drinking from a water bottle. "I think we've given Jeff enough death wishes for tonight."

"I have a few more." Sebastian rolled his eyes, and Jeff kept fanning himself, ignoring him.

"I can't do this." Blaine groaned, pulling off his shirt and tossing it onto the ground. Jeff whistled, and Kurt didn't miss the subtle looks he got from him and Nick. Clearly, they both were expecting him to drool at the sight of Blaine shirtless, but he wouldn't give them the satisfaction. Instead, he pulled off his own shirt. It was sticking to his flushed skin and he didn't care what the other counselors thought anymore at this point. But it seemed he didn't have to worry, because they followed suit soon after, dropping articles of clothing they deemed unnecessary. For Sebastian and Blaine, that was everything except their underwear.

"I can't sleep like this." Cate pulled her tightly braided cornrows into a ponytail, fanning the back of her neck.

"What if we slept outside?" Nicole piped up from beside her, pulling the collar of her shirt away from her neck.

After a couple minutes of arguing, they decided it would be better than the bunk, and lugged blankets and pillows to sleep on outside. They laid their blankets over the grass, and somehow, though he'd actively tried not to, his blanket ended up next to Blaine's. "No more top and bottoms bunks. We're finally equals." Blaine teased, and Kurt only nodded.

"Touching."

He could tell by Blaine's expression that the boy knew he was being withdrawn, but he didn't feel guilty. Blaine deserved a little of the cold shoulder. "I'm going in the lake, feel free to follow. But only if you're gonna stop being mean to me."

Jeff's request was met with a smatter of cuss words, and the blonde rolled his eyes, grabbing Nick's hand and towing him to the water. "I'm gonna just put my feet in." Cate sighed after a few minutes, and Nicole and Quinn followed her there, Quinn giving Kurt a backwards look over her shoulder, nodding pointedly towards Blaine. Luckily, Blaine didn't see her gesture, as he was too busy watching Sebastian get up to take a phone call, walking away from the mess of blankets.

Kurt sighed. Everyone knew that Kurt had feelings for Blaine, and that irritated him, because he couldn't deal with it alone anymore. It was like he had people pushing him towards the cliff's edge all the time.

"Are you going in the water?" Blaine looked to him, and Kurt just shook his head. "At least it's not as bad outside." Another vague tilt of his head. "Okay, I don't want to do this anymore. What's wrong?"

Kurt looked at him in disbelief. "What?"

"Why are you mad at me?"

He narrowed his eyes. "I'm not mad at you. I'm- frustrated with you."

Blaine crossed his arms over his bare chest. "Because of the Sebastian thing? Kurt, I wasn't gonna lie, I only agreed with your lie because I thought you didn't want to cause a fight, and you knew the swimming didn't mean anything."

Kurt stared at him for a second, and he felt his resolve crumbling. "Didn't mean anything? I'm sorry, but I lied because it did mean something. Are you so dense that you can't see that?" Blaine only blinked, and Kurt continued without waiting for a response. "I didn't cover it up because I thought it was pointless, I covered it up because I didn't want you and Sebastian to break up over me. Because I think you know that stripping down to our underwear and jumping in the lake and sharing secrets is a little more than friends would do."

It was dark, but the moon and stars made Blaine's blush visible. He knew exactly what Kurt was talking about. "I… I'm sorry."

The rant had made his face feel hot, and he fanned himself and looked away. "Whatever. I'm not gonna be upset over you."

Blaine was silent, and when Kurt glanced to him, he was looking at the stars. "Do you ever feel like you can't help but make bad decisions?" He said, seemingly abruptly. But then he realized it was completely related. Blaine's gaze was trained on Sebastian now, a crease between his eyebrows like he was deep in thought. Sebastian was the bad decision.

"It's not too late to fix your mistakes." Kurt said a minute later, to which Blaine just laughed at.

"I wish I could differentiate between a good decision and a mistake before I make it."

He had nothing to say to this, so he looked out at the lake. Kurt could tell the difference between a good decision and a bad one. He just had trouble choosing which to pick.


End file.
